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Study: NYC Retailers Not Protecting Wireless Networks
It appears that the dangers of open wireless networks haven't been adequately communicated to NYC-area retailers. The results of AirDefense's survey are nothing short of amazing: During its monitoring, AirDefense discovered more than 1,300 Access Points. Alarmingly, 39% were unencrypted, with 29% encrypted with Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP), the weakest protocol for wireless data encryption, which can be compromised in minutes but is in wide use today. In addition, it was found that others were utilizing Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) or WPA2, the two strongest encryption protocols for prevention against theft. I could possibly forgive some small, local businesses for not being up to speed on the threats of wireless technology. But the IT managers for any national chain shown to be compromising both the company's and customers' data should be scolded sternly. I just decided to perform an unscientific study. I am working in a Starbucks today. From where I am sitting, I can see five Wi-Fi networks, including the one in Starbucks, and one around the corner in Panera. To access the Starbucks network, you have to have an account with T-Mobile. The Panera network is a public hotspot. The other three belong to national retail chains. Two of them are WPA protected. The third is free and clear. This isn't good enough, people. « Now Lenovo Loads Linux, Too | Main | Microsoft's Beta Download Center: Bigger, Prettier, And Slower » |
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